Summary of Innovation
Optimal Picking outperforms traditional voice picking systems by giving pickers a 3D design of the pallets or carts that they need to build. It guides pickers step by step, so pickers no longer have to design and keep redesigning a pallet as they add cases to it. No time is wasted rearranging cases on the pallet when using Optimal Picking. This graphical guidance ensures that the picker only touches cases one time: when the case is picked.
When compared to voice picking systems that don’t offer 3D images:
• Pallets are built 5 to 10 percent faster
• Pallet height is reduced by 5 to 15 percent
• Pallet stability is improved, reducing product damage and safety risks
• Touching cases more than once is eliminated.
Optimal Picking designs the ideal pallet based on criteria defined by the warehouse. It can simply minimize picker travel time. However, other criteria can be considered, such as how the products in a pallet will be unloaded. If the first stop of a delivery truck requires products at the bottom of the pallet, then efficiencies gained in the warehouse are negated by time wasted by delivery drivers looking for the products they need to deliver. Optimal Picking can balance multiple criteria in order to, for example, minimize picker travel time in the warehouse as much as possible while ensuring that products that will be unloaded first are easily accessible.
Innovation Statement
Optimal Picking is the first solution that merges all the features needed to truly optimize picking operations: pallet/cart design, voice picking, and 3D images to guide pickers.
With Optimal Picking, even novice pickers can build perfect pallets in record time.
The system is hardware-agnostic. It can run on Augmented Reality headsets, mobile phones, tablets, and even smart watches.
Applicability
Optimal Picking generates ideal pallet designs that can take multiple criteria into account to address the needs of the entire supply chain and gives pickers the tools to build these pallets with maximum efficiency.
| Posted Date | 1/21/24 |
| Contact | Ed Aviles |
| Contact Email | ed.aviles[at]optimaldiscovery.com |
| Category | Best Innovation of an Existing Product |